The three-year-old pretending to be Santa, doing a voice and holding a pillowcase of his toys over his shoulder: “Do you want a toy?”
The nine-year-old: “Just pour your bag out and let me see what you have.” Continue reading “More Santa Shenanigans”
Author: marylowd
Merry Christmas from a Grumpy Cat
Our first year has been a long, dark year, but we published a lot of stories — 45 so far. We even got a call-out from a story in Daily Science Fiction: the story notes for The Empty Empire explain that it was inspired by Deep Sky Anchor, and it sent a few visitors our way. (Welcome! We loved getting your comments!)
In this dark December, we could all use a little brightness and cheer, so our present to you is a classic Christmas ghost story about that lovable, curmudgeonly, feline Scrooge — Shreddy and the Christmas Ghost. Continue reading “Merry Christmas from a Grumpy Cat”
Shreddy and the Christmas Ghost
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published in Anthropomorphic Dreams Podcast, AD 049, December 2012

Everything was going wrong this Christmas, and the dogs were too stupid to care.
Usually, after the Feast of the Giant Bird, Shreddy and the dogs were given table scraps to eat. As a cat and a mediocre hunter, Shreddy relished the chance to taste the flesh of an avian larger than himself. He looked forward to it all year. Thus, he watched in utter horror as one of the Red-Haired Woman’s dinner guests scraped all the plates off into the trash. No taste of turkey this year. Continue reading “Shreddy and the Christmas Ghost”
Broccoli, Teeth, and Christmas
Time for the Christmas Eve broccoli.
There’s a tooth under my nine-year-old’s pillow, and the stockings are hung over the fireplace. Santa and the tooth fairy may cross paths.
Hibernations and Rivalries, Both Thwarted
My plan to hibernate through the next few months seems to have been thwarted by my failure to be a bear.
Continue reading “Hibernations and Rivalries, Both Thwarted”
The World and Time, Frozen
My fish is super happy about the power outage — his tank has been relocated across town, and he’s all excited about the new surroundings.
I thought I had no words in me, but I managed to write an 800 word passage. Continue reading “The World and Time, Frozen”
Ice and Sexism
Sometimes I think about whether I would have gone by my initials — M.E. Lowd — if I’d understood 13 years ago just how deep the sexism is.
Every. Time. The city gets ice, we lose power. Trim back the goddamned trees during the summer, Eugene.
Ice and Fire
The ice demons are rampaging.
Maybe if I hold really still the ice demons won’t notice me, and the fire sprites will continue to warm my house. Continue reading “Ice and Fire”
Minor Mispronunciations
The three-year-old has been singing “Everything is Awesome” from the LEGO movie all day.. but the way he pronounces it sounds more like “Everything is AWFUL!”
The Measure Guy
The three-year-old, proudly displaying his slap-wrap ruler/bracelet: “This can measure! I’m a measure-guy!”